An Invitation to Participate in a Study of:

Birth-Grandmother Experiences in Open Adoptions


What is the Purpose of the study?


Although open adoption is becoming increasingly common in BC adoptions and has shown many potential benefits to children, the impact of open adoption on all members of the adoption kinship network (AKN), including birth parents, extended family, adoptees and adoptive family, is only beginning to be understood. The goal of this project is to explore birth grandmother experiences of open adoption in order to learn more about the impact of open adoption relationships on families and how the adoption community can best support and educate families both pre and post adoption.


What’s involved?

• Two private interviews of approximately one to two hours
• Topics to be discussed:
-Your experiences as a birth grandmother
-Your relationships with your child/children, grandchild/grandchildren and the adoptive family
-Your description of your role in the adoptive family
-Your ideas about changes needed in adoption support
-You may decline to answer any questions

• The interview will be tape recorded and transcribed by a typist
• You will be given a copy of the interview transcript to edit




Who’s Invited?

• Birth grandmothers in direct contact with birth grandchildren and adoptive family.

What about confidentiality?

• Your identity will be kept strictly confidential
• Documents will be identified only by code number and kept in a locked filing cabinet; computer data will be password protected
• You will not be identified by name in reports of the study

Participation is voluntary. You can withdraw or refuse to participate without any jeopardy to your employment.


If you are interested in getting more information or participating, please contact:

Joanne Eaves, M. Ed, MSW Student

(604) 723-9227 or jeaves@shaw.ca